Hero Complex
by SpatialPhoenix
Summary: What does it mean to be a Hero? That is a question that many have tried to answer. Magnus Grey, a crippled young boy who awakens in a universe that isn't his own, with nothing but the Embryo partnered to him, must now struggle to find an answer to that same question. One thing was for sure though; the possibilities were truly infinite. (Infinite Dendrogram Xover, DC Comics-like AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! It is I, the phoenix, FINALLY back with a chapter of the new and improved Hero Complex!**

 **I know it took a bit of time, but after the last failure I had to take a bit of time in order to go over everything and see where it went wrong.**

 **My conclusion? I wasted too much time on Micheal's preparation phase without getting into any actual action, which was a big mistake. In my fear of the DCU's crazy powers, I wanted to make my OC slowly go into the DCU after preparing himself, because intelligence trumps power in almost every case in this Universe.**

 **However, I spent too long on it, and people got bored. Some also thought that I gave him too much to start off with, which made him seem Gary Stuish. I can see why one might think that, but if you actually take the time to look up the kind of feats DC Heroes and Villains are capable of, then you'll see that even with all those resources Micheal was still at a _severe_ disadvantage, because the power of a Heroic Spirit will hardly leave a _dent_ in the opponents that actually matter.**

 **Adding Neo was the boiling point I guess. The new Hero Complex is strictly an Infinite Dendrogram and DCU crossover, so the most I'll do is add a Dendrogram character, but that is all.**

 **And on the subject of the Embryo, the winner of the Poll was Tyr, Maiden of Justice. I had everything planned out and was about to go for it when suddenly, I received a Review, and watched the new Harley Quinn and** **Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.**

 **How are those two even related, you ask?**

 **Well, the Review finalized my decision about the Embryo and my NEW OC, Magnus Grey's Job Build as well as backstory, while JJBA, especially my second favorite part, Golden Wind, along with Harley Quinn giving me quite the laugh and a little more appreciation for some of Gotham's Villains, helped me decide the general plot direction of this story.**

 **Basically, I was asked about a certain Build and if I would incorporate it into my OC, and received a suggestion to make his Embryo Brynhildr, in homage to the fact that SIGURD was going to be Micheal's Heroic Spirit.**

 **I loved that idea, and so the new Hero Complex was born. I've put a lot of time into Brynhildr's design, and am satisfied with my work.**

 **To put it simply, Brynhildr's main 'concept' is 'sacrifice one's life for power'** **and 'damage through love' like the Vikings of old. You'll see more of her powers in the next chapter, though her Ultimate Skill has already been revealed. Please keep in mind that although I am using the Fate Grand Order Brynhildr for her appearance (check the story thumbnail for an idea of how she looks), I am not copying her _exact_ lore and powers, for reasons you all might understand.**

 **Anyways, one thing I want to make clear is that I won't tolerate baseless hatred and flames anymore. If you don't like this story, then don't reas it, or have an actual reason for telling me it sucks, like for example, if I got the lore for a certain character wrong. I don't want to get firebombed again for personal issues like I did with the original. I know I'm being a little harsh, but this story and Event Horizon especially have worn my patience thin due to all the flamers.**

 **As for relative power levels and origins, think of it as somehwere between the shows and the comics (New 52 for the most part).**

 **Anyways, after the chapter, which is honestly more of a teaser as to what's coming and what the ENDGAME of this story is, PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE THAT I'M PLACING AT THE END! IT HAS SOME INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ BEFORE YOU START GETTING THE WRONG OPINION AND BEGIN FLAMING ME!**

 **Okay, that's it for now.**

 **Let's get on with the story!**

 **Introducing... Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5 Alternative: Gotham Wind!**

 **I mean... the new and improved Hero Complex!**

 **Please don't kill me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - A Villain Looks Back**

* * *

 _{Gotham City, United States of America}_

Sirens wailed as the police gathered around next to a bank, their cars forming a blockade as they dismounted their vehicles and formed a perimeter around the building, their guns at the ready, as they went through a process they'd been performing for what felt like forever.

The sad part was that it never usually worked.

Especially in a city with a record like Gotham's, though it had gotten _much_ better than it used to be. In fact, this was a rather _rare_ incident, as far as the public were concerned, because only absolute _idiots_ would mess with Gotham.

After all, two extremely scary people lived here and protected it, along with their allies, so no one in their right minds would try to set up shop there.

After all, it was thanks to the efforts of these people that Gotham became known as the city with the _least_ crime rates in the World.

A few years ago, it had been a rabid _cesspool_ filled with the worst elements of humanity.

Some people literally called it Hell on Earth. People got mugged in alleyways in broad daylight, and crime rates were off the charts.

 _That_ was how bad it used to be, and how extraordinary the people who changed such a place were.

The two Guardians of Gotham, as they were called, were both people to which the norm didn't apply.

Each of them operated by their own rules, which were _radically_ different, as was their approach to fighting crime, but both of them brought _results_ , the same results that had brought Gotham into a veritable Golden Age.

And unfortunately for the idiots who had decided to try and make it big in the Underworld by attacking Gotham for their first big score that day, they would meet _both_ of them.

The doors to the bank was blasted off its hinges, as a massive, hulking figure made his way out, holding a mini gun with one hand and a large briefcase of stolen money over his shoulders as he proved to be an excellent cover for his allies, who fired at the police officers from behind him.

"This is way easier than I expected!" yelled a thin, shrew-like man as he fired a revolver behind the back of his mountainous ally. "I thought Gotham was supposed to be the most secure city in America!"

"Ha! But we have you and Doyle, Boss! Between the two of you, even Gotham's so-called _Guardians_ wouldn't stand a chance!"

However, as the shootout continued, one of the robbers wasn't so sure about his companion's statement.

It should be noted that while he wasn't the _smartest_ of the group, he was certainly the most _sensible_ , and as such was _far_ more worried about ticking off Gotham's Superhuman Elements, as the Heroes and Villains operating in the city were known.

"G-guys, I'm not s-so sure about this." he said nervously, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. Even so, he still kept firing, hitting a conveniently placed nearby gas canister, causing an explosion that knocked several members of the GCPD off their feet and injured a few. "Do we really want to piss off freaking _Menagerie_ by doing something like this in their home turf?"

His question earned a few nervous looks from the other men.

After all, the gang known as Menagerie was probably the most well-known in the entire World, and even _off_ of it.

It was probably the most widespread gang in the whole World, having started right there in Gotham. Despite only being a few years old, it had a reputation that struck fear into the hearts of criminals.

After all, its Boss was one of Gotham's Guardians, the other being the infamous Batman.

If Batman beat down criminals and put them behind bars, it was _Menagerie_ that had seized control of Gotham's Underworld by force, ruthlessly eliminating the other factions that had controlled the region, and prevented the more heinous criminals from ever escaping.

Surprisingly enough, Menagerie remained true to the original ideals that the mafia and yakuza were based on, actually doing more good to the city than they ever did harm. Fighting against human trafficking and the drug trade fiercely, they acted as bodyguards, assassins and even more mundane trades like bakers or farmers.

In fact, Menagerie Incorporated, the famous mega-corporation, was their _legal_ front, which made the thought of their _illegal_ front all the more terrifying.

It took them a few years, but they eventually managed to become an even greater deterrent to crime than even the Justice League, which actually didn't even try to remove it after the first few battles they had.

Several familiar names made up its ranks, such as the ruthless Red Hood, the infamous Deadshot, the downright insane Harley Quinn, and many other powerful people that made the gang a force to be reckoned with.

To be honest, when one thought of Heroes and Villains, Menagerie was pretty much a third party, being independent from both the Justice League and the Legion of Doom. They were sort of like a hybrid of the two, being mostly heroic criminals.

That was why the most sensible man among the robbers was so worried, because even those facts _paled_ in compassion to the rumors surrounding the _Boss_ of Menagerie. And they were acting out of line in the gang's own hometown, and had even killed a few citizens and GCPD officers during their robbery.

As they advanced, getting farther and farther away from the bank as police reinforcements arrived, his compatriots, including the giant metahuman who acted as their muscle, were quick to reassure him of their clean success.

"With Doyle's powers, and my own brains, there's no way those _freaks_ from Menagerie can even touch us." he said arrogantly, laughing as he fired his assault rifle at the approaching officers.

"Yeah! You really think Menagerie is all that great? It's just a collection of self-righteous wierdos who can't do anything more than get in the way of _actual_ criminals like us." said another one, grinning stupidly as Doyle roared in laughter and agreement.

"Oh? Do tell." said a voice from _directly behind them._

They all whirled around to see a tall figure, carrying a bag of takeout in one hand.

The strangest thing about him was that he was wearing a panda costume, not exposing a hint of the his identity. In fact, even the voice was slightly distorted, though it sounded male.

"W-what? H-how did he get behind us?" asked the man who had spoken earlier, terrified, his eyes wide open in surprise.

"It doesn't matter! Doyle, pulverize the freak!" yelled the boss, turning his revolver on the person in the panda suit and opening fire.

To his shock though, the bullets pinged off of the costume as if it was some sort of _armor_.

Dropping his minigun as to avoid friendly fire, Doyle ran at the figure, roaring menacingly.

Beneath the suit, the intruder raised an eyebrow, and slowly bent one of his legs back, impeccable balance keeping him from dropping the bag of food.

A few seconds later, as Doyle was about to get in close and bring his fist down on the intruder's head, the panda guy spoke again, his voice strong and clear.

 _ **"Crag Scraper."**_

The leg which had been cocked back shot forward, and slammed into the approaching Doyle, catching him straight in the chest.

Normally, that wouldn't have done anything, as Doyle's metahuman ability was in fact the ability to absorb physical impacts and use them to increase his own power, and was even able to take getting rammed into by two bullet trains at the same time without even a _scratch_.

However, what he didn't know was at the person he had just attacked was well-known in certain circles as the _Physical Apex_ , because of his _sheer strength_.

As the leg connected to his abdomen, Doyle's eyes bulged as he hacked up blood, his Shock Absorption being overwhelmed in less than a second, before a massive shockwave emanated from the point of impact, causing an _earthquake_ that could be felt all around Gotham.

Doyle was sent _flying_ , disappearing into the Gotham skyline.

The others, who had been sent flying by the shockwave of the kick, were _barely_ conscious, and couldn't believe their eyes.

 _Just who was this guy?_

The guy in the panda suit began to slowly walk towards them, his bag of takeout having been shielded by his arms so as to not _explode_ from the sheer force that had just been emanated.

The remaining criminals, those who were still conscious anyways, desperately tried to crawl away, nothing but fear engraved into their minds.

In their haste they didn't even realize that all the asphalt on the street had been _stripped away_ by that single kick, causing them to scrabble away at the rich Gotham soil.

"Guess using a Skill on that guy was kind of overkill." the panda man said, scratching his head sheepishly.

He took a few steps forward, only to stop suddenly and look to the building directly to his left.

"Hey, Batman! Didn't see you there." he said cheerfully, waving a paw.

The conscious criminals _paled_ as they saw the shadowed figure on the rooftop.

They were _f*cked_ , and now they knew it without a hint of doubt.

"Yes, I doubt you noticed a thing when you sent a metahuman _flying through Gotham._ " said the Caped Crusader rather accusingly.

"Hey, no one insults my family in front of me and gets away with it, especially people like them." said the panda guy comfortably, not at all bothered in the least by Batman's irritated glare. "Besides, I held back."

"I can see that, Berserker. The fact that you _didn't_ level a city block like you _usually_ do was pretty indicative of that fact."

The panda guy looked around sheepishly, before pointing at the fear-struck criminals.

"You mind arresting those guys before you get on my case?" he pleaded, causing Batman to let out a sigh before he turned his patented Bat-Glare on the criminals, who trembled in terror, having long since given up on trying to escape.

"P-please Batman! S-save us from that monster!" cried one of them, causing Batman to raise an eyebrow, before turning his gaze to the rapidly retreating Berserker.

"Hold still. This'll only take a minute if you don't struggle."

* * *

Berserker had gotten a few blocks away before Batman caught up with him.

The panda suited figure was sitting on the edge of a rooftop, overlooking the Gotham skyline.

"Want some?" he asked, gesturing to the takeout he had gotten, which, coincidentally enough, was from Panda Express.

"I'll pass." said Batman, before walking up to his position.

"Jeez, too plebeian for your tastes?" complained Berserker, opening a box of fresh chow mien and orange chicken.

"I understand that you're practically _addicted_ to that blended crap Alfred gives you to keep you _alive_ , but you _really_ need to expand your palate."

Before Batman could respond, he took a small object out of... _somewhere_ , and placed it on the ground, causing a translucent bubble to burst from it and surround the area.

"It's safe." said Berserker, before taking off his costume in a flash of light, revealing a teenager who couldn't be older than eighteen, though his prodigious height and build seemed to try and contrast the fact.

He had blue eyes and grayish-white hair, and a kind smile. His features appeared to be sculpted from ice, and he seemed like the son of some Eurpean Noble. On his left hand gleamed a strange blue sigil, depicting a spear win a heart-shaped head.

Not the kind of person you would expect to be wandering around Gotham in a panda suit ordering takeout.

But then, looks could be misleading.

Batman didn't say anything, but took a seat on the ledge next to the kid, taking off his headgear and revealing the face of playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne.

"For your information Magnus, that stuff isn't healthy for you." said Bruce.

"Meh. It's still an experience for me. Honestly, fast food's kind of simple, which is why I like it. I hate that expensive crap that the rich always eat, so damn complex that they have names like something out of a Pharmacology textbook."

"I don't really take any offense to that, because you're kind of right." admitted Batman. "It _does_ become somewhat of a hassle."

"So... you want some?" asked Magnus, causing Bruce to facepalm.

In the end, he turned to the younger man.

"Do you have any beef?"

"Yep. Here you go." said Magnus, handing a box over to the other man. "I added an extra fortune cookie for good luck."

Batman snorted at that one.

If _fortune cookies_ were all it took to improve someone's luck, then the World would have been a _very_ different place.

"So what brings the leader of the biggest criminal organization on the planet out for Chinese takeout?" asked Bruce casually.

Honestly, few would believe it, but Magnus Grey, a teenage boy who hadn't even crossed eighteen, was the _leader_ of Menagerie, as well as its founder. To put it in his own terms, Bruce would call him one of the most successful criminals in _history_. Although, calling him a criminal was kind of debatable because he wasn't _evil_. He just broke the law when he felt like it.

Despite his age, he was someone with a large number of achievements under his belt, some of which even Batman and the Justice League couldn't claim.

He was _far_ more than just a child. Dick, Tim and Jason had all been young when they started their tenures as Robin, so it wasn't that hard to wrap his head around, but even they hadn't been involved in the sheer amount of _crazy_ that seemed to follow the teenage Mafia Boss around.

"It's Game Night tonight, so everyone's all riled up back at the base. Kozue's determined to beat Raven at poker, while Constantine, Etrigan and Harley are drinking themselves stupid. And that's just the _beginning_ of what's going on. It's a bit of a dangerous time to be at home, so I just decided to see the sights and get some food. Hoped I'd run into you though, it's been a while since we've chatted."

That was another thing. One of the Earth's Symbols of Justice regularly chatted with one of the most powerful criminals on the planet.

It was something that they'd started doing a lot sometime after _that_ night.

 _The night the Joker was killed._

Just _thinking_ about it brought back unpleasant memories, one of them being the internal debate that had torn him apart from that day onwards.

Bruce Wayne had always felt strongly in his morals, in his _beliefs_. That was a core part of him, the piece, the part of himself that he would never let go of, no matter how dark his path may have been.

But _that_ night, and the words that had been spoken to him by someone half his age still shook him to the core.

He still remembered the bloodied, _gored_ teenager standing in front of him, one eye nearly falling out of its socket and his stomach somewhere on the floor nearby, face partially eaten away by acid, his dingy animal costume practically _fused_ to his skin.

 _'So, you're going to damn hundreds of people just to feel good about yourself? Taking the law into your own hands._ _That's_ _what this is all about, isn't it? I won't criticize you for your beliefs, Batman; I respect you and your work too much for that. But... I guess that makes me glad I'm not a Hero, then. Because the criminal action I've committed tonight... will save the lives of many people. Maybe even you...'_

He'd been unable to respond to that statement, as the boy limped by him, struck dumb by the sight of his nemesis' pulverized corpse.

Logic dictated that there was no way Batman was in the wrong there.

After all, if he decided to execute the criminals he'd fought, then that would make him no better than them, since he would be taking the law into his own hands, _acting as if he was above it._

The principle that _defined_ a criminal.

Like Magnus was.

But the boy had been _right_ , hadn't he?

He _had_ saved hundreds of people by killing the Joker.

And like he'd stated, he was a _criminal_ , in the eyes of the law, though the general public hailed him as a Hero, even those who knew him as the Boss of Menagerie.

In a sense, he was the most controversial character Batman had ever known.

They'd talked many times after that, and had come to something of an understanding; that neither of them would change their beliefs, and all they could do was respect the other, something that the boy had no qualms with.

Funnily enough, after their discourses, Batman couldn't bring himself to see the kid as a killer.

Batman's principle of 'Justice, not Revenge' hinged on the fact that he believed revenge and murder would lead down a path one could never come back from. Magnus was a living contradiction to that statement.

Although he'd killed Supervillains, he'd also _saved_ Supervillains, and made them _better_ _people_ , something Arkham _definitely_ couldn't boast about doing.

It was something that confused Batman. How could he _tell_ if a Supervillain could be saved? There was no _logic_ behind the choices he made. For someone as methodological as Batman, Magnus' seemingly impulsive actions and decisions weren't understandable in the least.

Magnus had never given him a straight answer to that question, muttering about 'meta-knowledge', something which only made him more confused, and convinced the boy was in the wrong.

One shouldn't just _choose_ at random who to kill and who to spare. That was just insanity.

But when Magnus pointed out that he was trying to lecture a _criminal_ on morals, Bruce was forced to concede.

But... _somehow_ , all of Magnus' choices had been more or less correct. Batman couldn't say anything about the people Magnus had killed, but all those who he'd spared had ended up becoming better people.

It made even _less_ sense than magic.

"Earth to Batman!" called Magnus, snapping his fingers, snapping the older man out of his thoughts. "You always space out for a few minutes whenever we meet up. You can have flashbacks later, okay?"

"Sorry." he said curtly, before taking a bite of his food.

Huh, it _was_ good. Guess even fast food had its charm once in a while.

"How are Jason and Damian?" he asked finally.

"They're doing just fine. Damian said he'll come visit you in a while, though I practically had to _force_ him to do it." said Magnus.

No surprise there. Their relationship was kind of strained, mostly because of Batman's lingering resentment at being taken advantage of by Talia combined with their differing beliefs. But still, Damian was his son, and so Bruce still cared about him. It was a feeling Damian grudgingly returned.

He knew that Damian was in good hands though, so he didn't have to worry.

"Jason though..." said Magnus, a slow smirk spreading across his lips.

"Did something happen?" asked Bruce, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm. That was the other reason I wanted to meet up with you. You and the rest of the Bat-Family are invited." said Magnus, producing a clearly stylized card and handing it to him.

Batman read the first few lines before his jaw actually hung open, his eyebrows having shot into his hairline.

"You're _kidding_."

"Nope~!" snickered Magnus. "He actually popped the question! You should have seen his face! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my whole life!"

After getting over the momentary surprise, a small smile was visible on Bruce's face.

"She'll be good for him."

"She will. Kozue'll have him whipped within the first week, but yeah, she'll be good for him."

Tucking the card away for later, Batman's small smile grew into a nasty smirk as he asked his next question.

"So how's _your_ love life doing?" asked Bruce, nearly laughing out loud at the teenager's grumbling. "Have you solved the Love Dodecahedron you have going on?"

"Oh, ha ha ha." said Magnus sarcastically, shaking a chopstick at him threateningly. "Laugh all you want, Bruce, but we _both_ know you're not any better."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

" _Suuuuure_."

"I'm serious. Selena and I are happily married. End of story."

"Mhm. One word; _Talia_."

"Okay, let's _not_ go there." said Batman with a glare. "We _both_ know that isn't exactly the same kind of situation."

"Fine then. Diana?"

"We're just colleagues. I don't know why you would even think that." said Bruce.

"All the Wonderbat shippers on the Justice League Forums claim otherwise." said Magnus, causing Bruce too look at him with a perplexed expression.

"Wonder _what_?"

"Never mind." said Magnus quickly, clamming up with a mouthful of chicken, deciding to change the subject, though Batman still filed away the information for later.

"But still, it's kind of amazing isn't it? The World's moving forward, and we're all living out our lives. It's been relatively peaceful for a while now, and I guess this makes me realize it more than ever."

"That peace didn't come easily." said Bruce, though he conceded the point.

"No", agreed Magnus softly. "It didn't."

They both contemplated silently, remembering all the lives that had been lost on both sides to secure this era of relative peace.

"Tough decisions had to be made, and many tragedies happened before we were able to get this far." said Bruce.

"I'll say. It doesn't help that we live in a pretty f*cked up World. Aliens, Gods, Monsters, crazy scientists, street thugs with superpowers; there's no end to the people who would threaten others due to their own selfish desires. That's why I started Menagerie, you know? I wanted to make the _ideal_ mafia, like the old ones, which had honorable principles that they operated by. But most importantly, Menagerie was meant to be a _family_ for all those people who didn't fit in, whose suffering set them apart. I'm talking mainly about people like Caitlin or old Clayface who have _conditions_ that make their situations for different from normal people. People like them were the ones that had the highest chance of becoming the next big calamity, and they honestly didn't deserve to go down that path, because most of the time, the situation that resulted in their conditions wasn't even their fault. They're not sick psychopaths like Zsasz or egoistic warlords like Darkseid; but they had the potential to become just as big a threat."

"So by providing them with a place where they could belong, you both reduced the amount of possible enemies and criminals running around _and_ increased your own power base, also earning the absolute loyalty of your new subordinates in the process."

"In one." said Magnus, not really trying to hide it. "It's not like I'm doing it for my own selfish gains; money and fame aren't really my goals. I helped them because I genuinely felt their pain. While not as f*cked up as theirs, I had a past of my own that wasn't very nice as well. It was honestly just luck that things ended up working out so well, considering the kind of people I had to deal with."

"You're telling me that you managed to successfully merge the League of Assassins into Menagerie through _luck_?" asked Batman with thinly veiled disbelief.

"Well, kind of." said Magnus awkwardly. "It helped that my methods were much closer to theirs than yours were and I had a good rapport with Talia and Damian."

Batman snorted at that one. He didn't know if it was intentional, but Magnus had a way of playing down the _ridiculous_ things he did.

'Luck', he said.

Batman would eat his own cape if everything that had followed the creation of what first seemed like _just another gang_ in Gotham was due to _luck_.

He would know firsthand, having fought Berserker before many times in the past, that there was another reason as to how he gained such iron-clad loyalty from his followers.

Berserker was strong. _Incredibly_ strong. There was a reason he was known as the Physical Apex, but that wasn't the only thing.

He was smart. Not a genius in any sense of the word, though, having made countless mistakes that nearly left him dead on more than one occasion, but smart enough to take a plan, a foolish one at that, and actually make it _work_ through sheer force of will and determination.

And several millions of dollars of property damage as well.

Lastly, he was kind, even though he could be absolutely _monstrous_ when the situation called for it. He had an unnatural charisma that seemed to wear down a person's defense like some kind of killer fungus before they inevitably became allies.

Batman guiltily admitted to himself that he was one of the people who'd experienced this trait of his firsthand.

"How did you do it?" asked Batman finally, cutting to the chase and asking what had been on his mind for a long time.

"Do what?" asked Magnus, snapping open a fortune cookie, having finished his meal when Batman was deep in thought.

"Apparently, today is a good day to meet up with friends and family." he read, musing to himself. "Man, these things can be so legit sometimes!"

" _Everything_." said Batman, drawing Magnus' attention back to his earlier question. "When we first met, you were _far_ from the person you are now, at least in terms of power and condition. You built an _empire_ from scratch, and conquered the Gotham Underworld at the age of _sixteen_. Your influence puts even Lex Luthor's to shame. In fact, you have allies in Atlantis, the Lantern Corps and even among the New Gods. The true nature of your powers are unknown to anyone on both sides, magic _and_ science. What I'm trying to get at is this; how did you go from a sick boy who couldn't even eat a _bar of chocolate_ without getting a stroke from hyperglycemia to someone capable of defeating _Darkseid_ in single combat?"

It didn't make any sense, just like everything else that surrounded the strange mobster. The things he'd been involved in were something straight out of a comic book or a tv show. True, as an actual _Superhero_ , Batman had no right to talk about crazy adventures, especially when considering the times that he had crashed the Watchtower onto the planet's surface, but he could safely say that playing _Jeopardy_ with the Riddler, beating an alien warlord to death with _his own skull_ , and of course, _riding a whale-themed warship that could fire_ _ **tactical**_ _**nukes**_ _, with two AI occupying it, into battle against a horde of Paradooms and their boss while wearing a wolf costume_ , were all brands of crazy that _far_ surpassed anything he could hope to pull off.

Magnus grinned at the question, remembering the same incident Batman had just referenced. The same incident that had resulted in him gaining the title of Physical Apex.

"Yeah, it _really_ doesn't seem to make much sense, right?"

* * *

 _{Apokolips, An Undisclosed Amount of Time Ago}_

A Batarang lodged itself in a chink in the armor of a Paradoom, exploding and causing the green glow of Kryptonite to light up the area, practically incinerating the creature. Not that he had any sympathy for them. They were man-eating drones that were little more than enhanced savages sent to kill them.

Batman cursed as another _three_ Paradooms came to take the place of their fallen brethren.

One thing he had noticed after being in the Superhero industry for a while was that almost _every_ major Villain somehow had an endless amount of grunts to stall them somehow and keep them separated.

Being on the receiving end of that phenomenon all the time was _incredibly_ frustrating, as Batman could attest to.

Thankfully, a green fist slammed into them, sending them flying as Green Lantern came to back him up, but he knew the situation wasn't good. They were hopelessly outnumbered, barely managing to hold them off, while Diana and Clark fought Darkseid himself in the throne room not too far from their location.

"There are too many of them." said Martian Manhunter gravely, transforming his arm into a giant dragon head which chomped down on one of the Paradooms, killing it, and using it to bludgeon another that tried to sneak up on them.

"Yeah, tell us something we _don't_ know!" said Shazam in response, his fist punching clean through one of them. "We have to keep these things from reaching those two no matter how many there are!"

Easier said than done. After being in the field for so long, Batman knew a losing battle when he saw one.

After all, judging by the noises from the interior of Darkseid's hall, the battle wasn't going very swimmingly for Superman and Wonder Woman as well.

It wasn't that much due to a lack of _power_ , per se, but the fact that Clark and Diana tended to be naive and obvious at times, more so than almost any other member of the League, which gave them a natural disadvantage against a cunning ruler like Darkseid who had been around for _millennia,_ and so knew all the tricks both inside and outside the book, as well as the wordplay needed to create an opening for it.

Plus, Darkseid no doubt had experience fighting warriors like them, and his superior attributes were certainly nothing to laugh at, even if Superman and Wonder Woman could keep up with him, if only just _barely_.

The fact of the matter was, they needed suitable backup in there, while the rest of them needed backup out here.

Due to the simultaneous attacks taking place on Earth, the Justice League was stretched thin, with only eight of them managing to come for a direct attack on Apokolips in order to defeat Darkseid and get him to call off his forces.

The rest were busy fighting off his main invasion force, along with the Reapers that were trying to extract the Earth's molten core (again).

The situation wasn't looking good. The only good thing was that the Paradooms were nowhere near as strong as the original Doomsday. If that were the case, they all would have died by that point.

Batman checked his inventory, realizing that he was starting to run dangerously low on Kryptonite weaponry, having only a few Batarangs and his trusty pair of spiked knuckles left.

Problem was at getting into ranged combat with flying super predators _wasn't_ a good idea.

He expended another one of his Batarangs and nailed a Paradoom that was sneaking up on Black Canary, whose scream was causing the Paradooms to clutch their heads in pain and slam into one another, leaving them open for Green Arrow to pick them off.

He narrowed his eyes when he grasped for another and nearly came up short.

 _'Only two left.'_

He cursed silently under his breath when Green Arrow's quiver ran empty, causing him to go on the defensive with Canary, whose attacks were pretty much meaningless without backup to kill the disoriented targets.

That was nearly three of them down, and they hadn't even been injured yet.

Superman and Wonder Woman were still fighting, while Shazam, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter were forced to pick up the slack, although Canary still did her best to try and stun them for one of the others to pick them off.

A glowing green minigun formed in Hal's hands before he sprayed a stream of holographic bullets that tore into the Paradooms, causing them to stagger and fall out of the sky, where Martian Manhunter and Shazam were waiting for them with open arms, which they then used to crush the beasts like they were made out of paper maché.

Batman threw his last Kryptonite Batarang, killing another of the Paradooms, but his eyes widened when he realized that they were now surrounded, as a new contingent of the mindless beasts had somehow snuck up on them in the chaos.

He cursed under his breath and put on his Kryptonite Knuckles, as the remaining members of the Justice League formed a ring, back to back.

Green Lantern projected a couple of arrows with his power and tossed them to Green Arrow, who nodded grimly in thanks and mocked one to his bowstring.

For a moment, there was a hushed silence as the members of the Justice League prepared their last stand.

And then a massive explosion lit up the surrounding area, practically _cleaving_ through the Paradooms in front of them, who had ironically acted as a shield preventing the force of the blast from reaching them.

"What the heck?!" gawked Shazam, surprised to see that half the enemies they were about to face had just vanished.

Batman, however, had looked up, and saw the massive shape that had suddenly appeared on the horizon, casting a shadow on the surface of Apokolips.

"So he came."

* * *

 _{In The Skies Above Apokolips, A Couple Seconds Earlier}_

 _"Daddy, we've entered Apokoliptan Airspace!"_ chirped a cheerful, female sounding voice.

"Good. Thank you Moby." said a figure dressed in a shaggy looking wolf costume. "The rest of Menagerie's already been deployed across Earth to help the League and the others, so it's just us for now."

 _"Affirmative."_ said a far more robotic, male sounding voice. _"Judging by relevant data, we will be more than enough to carry out the objective."_

"That's some good confidence there, Dick!" said the man, before rubbing his fur-covered hands. "Now, what's the status?"

 _"Hostiles detected. Determining Nature... Nature Found. Enemies bear Pseudo-Kryptonian Biosignatures. Closest possible match... Doomsday."_

"Haaaah" sighed the figure. "So that's really the case then, isn't it? Okay then. Moby, load the KK and the DD Ammo only, okay? The others aren't going to do much good in this situation."

 _"Okay, Daddy! Killer Kryptonite and Direct Damage Warheads have been loaded!"_ said Moby, her cheerful voice causing a smile to spread across his face for a few moments, before it turned wicked at the thought of the battle to come.

"Let's do this." he said, taking strides forward as he stood on the edge of the massive _flying battleship_ that had appeared over Apokolips.

He could make out flashes of light that indicated the possible location of the Justice League.

It looked like they could use a hand.

"Dick?"

 _"Attack Vectors Calculated. Hostiles Locked On. Weapon System Functionality Running at 100%."_

"That's all I need to hear." said Magnus, as he somehow snapped the claws of the wolf costume. "Open fire."

 _"Affirmative!"_ came the synchronized voices of Moby and Dick. _"_ _ **Biframe Warship That Swims Through The Heavens, Twin Moby Dick**_ _is engaging the enemy!"_

And with that, the Superior UBM Reward Magnus earned by defeating the Superior UBM _**Biframe White Whale, Twin Moby Dick**_ , the massive warship that answered his beck and call, proceeded to go on the offensive.

* * *

 _{On The Planet's Surface}_

"Is that a freaking _battleship_?!" cried Shazam excitedly as more shells were fired, _decimating_ the Paradooms in flashes of Kryptonite green.

"Looks like it." said Green Arrow offhandedly, though he was no less shocked than anyone else.

"Why don't _we_ have a battleship?!"

"We have a _giant floating satellite_ that we call our home base." said Black Canary dryly.

"So? It's not a _battleship_ , is it?"

Batman's eyes were focused more on the barely visible figure on the deck of the warship.

"The situation out here's handled." said Batman urgently. "We need to support Superman and Diana before-"

His words were interrupted by a loud crash that drowned out even the explosions that were taking out the Paradooms, and barely dodged tot he side as a red and blue blur shot past them.

The figure was revealed to be Superman, who wiped away a trickle of blood from his chin and moved to go back into the palace, but was forced to stop as a similarly injured Wonder Woman was thrown at him, sending them both flying.

"I was expecting more from the Kryptonian." said Darkseid offhandedly as he floated out of his palace with his hands behind his back. "But this showing was _especially_ poor. You must be punished for trying to resist me."

Great.

The Justice League formed up as Superman released his heat vision, twin trails of red blasting at Darkseid, only for them to be halted by one of his hands.

Wonder Woman had picked up her damaged sword and her shield, while Green Lantern projected another minigun, Green Arrow prepared to fire, Martian Manhunter's hands transformed into scythe-like claws, Black Canary fell into a fighting stance, Shazam slammed his fists together, lightning cackling around his form, and Batman readied himself for battle.

Superman came to float before them, his face set into a hardened frown.

"We'll beat you, Darkseid." he said with absolute certainty.

"You'll certainly try." remarked the New God, not really taking the Kryptonian's words seriously.

His eyes glowed orange, signaling the appearance of one of the fabled Omega Beams.

Everyone tensed, knowing just how destructive they could be, but before they could do anything, someone else beat them to the punch.

 _ **"Velocity Hammer."**_

A grey blur _slammed_ into Darkseid, causing a massive shockwave to erupt, knocking most of the members of the Justice League to the ground as Darkeid went flying back into his palace, breaking through the front of it on the way in.

The figure who had inflicted the injury knelt in the crater of his own making, steam slowly wafting off so his body.

When it cleared, it revealed a figure in a wolf costume that looked rather silly, like those one could find at a kid's birthday party.

But Batman wasn't going to let looks fool him a _second_ time.

He'd seen those strange costumes of his shrug off _Promethium bullets_ before.

"Berserker." he said calmly, causing the figure to turn to him.

"Hey hey hey!" he said cheerfully. "Nice meeting you all here! You know, you guys should take a hike now. I've got this guy."

"What? We can't just _run_." said Superman, somewhat offended.

In response, Berserker rubbed his head sheepishly. "I didn't mean it like that, Big Blue. Your help is needed back on Earth. Your specific skillsets are needed to defeat the main invasion force. Darkseid himself is just a distraction to keep you, the Justice League's finest, occupied. I'll take over for you."

"Your actions are noble, and befitting of a true warrior." said Wonder Woman. "But what makes you think you can take on Darkseid alone? He is incredibly powerful. If we were to leave, he would immediately be able to follow."

Berserker paused at that.

Suddenly, before the eyes of everyone watching, his costume began to _shift_ , for lack of a better word, transforming into an entirely new shape.

When it was done, Berserker was left bare-chested, exposing numerous scars, wearing furry leggings and gauntlets that exposed his fists. A wolf pelt was tied around his hips, forming a sort of waistcoat, and he had a hood made out of a wolf's head obscuring the upper part of his face, with only strands of whitish hair being visible.

He kind of looked like a Viking _berserker_ of old.

"You're right." he said nonchalantly, his much younger voice being revealed for the first time. "But victory is honestly optional. What I _can_ do is buy enough time for you to destroy Darkseid's forces at the very least, so you can come back me up. Until then, I'll stall him personally while Moby Dick takes care of the Paradooms so the invasion force can't receive additional help."

"Hey, we can't just _leave_ you here!" protested Shazam. "You're just a kid!"

"Wow, hypocritical much, Batson?" said Berserker with a smirk, causing the hero to flinch.

"How did you-"

"Don't bother." said Batman, cutting him off. "We don't have much time. Are you _sure_ you can hold him off?"

"Batman, you can't seriously be _considering_ this, can you?" protested Superman. "I know he's a villain but we can't let him sacrifice himself to save our skins! Who knows what Darkseid'll do to him!"

"I am. I know Berserker better than any of you. Despite the name, and the fact that he loses his sh*t after getting into a fight, he's not someone who makes rash claims or underestimates his opponents. If he says he can do it, _then he can do it_ , no questions asked."

"Thanks, Batman." said Berserker with a smile. "Now go out there and be Heroes! Raven will take you back to Earth! Let this humble Berserker tangle with the likes of that overcompensating as*hole."

As if on cue, a shadowy blob of energy appeared, revealing a cloaked figure.

"We don't have much time." she urged silently, a portal opening behind her.

The Justice Legaue looked like they wanted to protest further, but Batman's glare stopped them, causing them to begin exiting Apokolips.

"May the Gods watch over you." blessed Wonder Woman before leaving in a hurry, intent to finish up the fight as fast as she could.

"Don't worry!" said Superman before he left. "We'll be back for you before you know it!"

Berserker grinned at that before the Kryptonian disappeared into the portal, leaving Batman the only Hero left.

They locked eyes, and Berserker nodded, knowing that there wasn't anything that needed to be said. The message was clear.

Then he left, leaving Raven and Magnus alone while he turned to face the direction he had sent Darkseid, wondering what was taking the New God so long.

While _**Velocity Hammer**_ was one of his Upper Tier Skills, he didn't believe for a _second_ that it would be enough to take down Darkseid.

"Get out of here, Rae." he said calmly.

Raven hesitated for a moment, but ultimately complied, knowing she was needed elsewhere.

"Don't die." said the daughter of Trigon simply before she teleported back to Earth.

Magnus grinned at that, before his arms settled into an odd position, cocked back at his sides as if he was winding up a spring.

"I'll try not to."

A beam of orange light soared out of the wreckage of the palace, and Magnus acted before they could strike him.

 _ **"Machine-Gun Blows."**_

Magnus' fists blurred forward, causing a violent wind to whip up around him, encasing him in a veritable _tornado_ as the sheer _strength_ of each punch warped the area around him.

His bare fists collided with the Omega Beam, but instead of disintegrating and burning away, they actually _held it back_ and started _destroying_ it, causing wayward bursts of orange light to scatter behind him and detonate.

He let out a breath as his Skill ended, having successfully staved off the Omega Beam, his hands steaming slightly.

"Impressive." said Darkseid, floating across from him appraisingly. "No one has been able to halt my Omega Beams like that before. I didn't expect a _human_ to be the first."

"Coming from you? I'll accept that praise with pride. Though if you're expecting me to submit to you, then I'm afraid your _dead wrong_. You're making moves on my home turf. I can't let that stand."

"Very well. Then you shall suffer for your insolence. Who know? After I _break_ you I might gain a powerful new servant."

"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched, Darkseid. I'm not going down without a fight."

Magnus took a deep breath, before he smirked to himself.

 _'I guess... it's time.'_ he thought to himself. _'Are you ready?'_

 _'Always, my love.'_ replied the gentle voice of his constant companion and partner.

"Heh!" he said, laughing to himself. "I wonder... how does the power of a Superior stack against a New God? Guess I'll find out."

Magnus stood tall, a wide grin on his face, his eyes beginning to cloud over with battle-lust, placing a hand over his now-glowing heart.

And intoned the Ultimate Skill of his Superior Embryo.

 _ **"Till Death Do Us Apart, Brynhildr!"**_

The surface of Apokolips _exploded_ as two _colossal_ forces engaged in battle.

* * *

 _{Gotham City, Present Time}_

Half the planet had been destroyed in their fight, and he'd _barely_ won, his _**Right of Destruction**_ acting as a foil to the New God's Omega Force abilities.

Even after killing him, he'd almost _died_ due to the battle itself, having used every Skill in his arsenal, including his Final Blow, and would have died if it hadn't been for... well, he guessed it didn't matter now.

Considering he had ripped open the _fabric of reality_ with his own physical strength, he was regarded as the Physical Apex from that point onwards.

Well, back to Batman's question.

Magnus smiled wistfully as he looked up at the stars, thinking back on the many adventures he had gone through after coming to this strange new Universe.

It had been one hell of a ride. One that he could _never_ have imagined for himself, considering his early life.

Where did it all begin, he asked?

Well that was an easy question to answer.

Magnus leaned back, placing his arms behind his head, his mind going towards events that had gone by.

"It all began when I woke up in Arkham Asylum, unjustly imprisoned with some of Gotham's _worst_ , for a crime I couldn't _possibly_ have committed." he said wistfully.

"Keep in mind that I was a sickly teenager suffering from an incurable heart disease, and had no idea where I was, no friends or family and no resources."

And so, Magnus Grey, the Berserker, Undisputed King of Crime and Destruction, Physical Apex and Boss of Menagerie, began to recount his tale.

* * *

 **And that's all, folks!**

 **Before you guys start shooting flames at me like freaking Etrigan when he farts, I just want to make a couple of things clear, so please pay attention.**

 ***Ahem*.**

 **1) THE EVENTS OF THIS CHAPTER TAKE PLACE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE _END_ OF THIS STORY, SO DON'T SEE ALL THE ACHEIVEMENTS MAGNUS HAS UNDER HIS BELT AND ASSUME HE IS A GARY STU! HE WILL _NOT_ GET EVERYTHING HANDED TO HIM ON A SILVER PLATTER, IS FAAAAAR FROM A PERFECT HUMAN BEING, AND HAS TO USE HIS OWN WITS AND STRENGTH TO SURVIVE!**

 **2) THE REASON WHY BATMAN AND MAGNUS ARE SO FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER, ONCE AGAIN, IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND SO BATMAN RESPECTS HIM AS AN EQUAL AND A FRIEND, WHICH IS WHY HE BEHAVES THAT WAY TOWARDS HIM.**

 **3) WHILE SOME OF YOU MIGHT THINK THAT MAGNUS BEING ABLE TO DEFEAT DARKSEID IN THE STORY MIGHT SEEM TOO FAR-FETCHED, KEEP IN MIND THAT INFINITE DENDROGRAM HAS A POWER SYSTEM THAT IS EASILY JUST AS BROKEN AS THE DCU'S.**

 **4) ONCE AGAIN, ALL THE CHARACTER THAT HAVE JOINED MENAGERIE HAVE ACTUAL REASONS AND SOMETIMES EVEN STORY ARCS WHICH MAKE THEIR CHOICE MORE CLEAR AND REASONABLE, SO DON'T KEEP FLAMING ME WITH COMMENTS LIKE 'THERE'S NO WAY JASON WOULD JOIN!' AND 'WHY AREN'T BATMAN AND DAMIAN WAYNE BEST BROS?'**

 **TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THAT ALL OF THE OCCURRENCES IN THIS STORY HAVE RELATIVELY REASONABLE EXPLANATIONS, SO STAY TUNED FOR THEM!**

 **5) PAIRINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DECIDED, BUT YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN SUGGESTIONS! EVEN IF IT IS A HAREM THOUGH, NO UNREASONABLE (IN THE SENSE THAT THERE'S NO WAY THEY WOULD BE PAIRED WITH MAGNUS) CHARACTERS LIKE WONDER WOMAN OR EVEN TALIA AL GHUL! WHILE THERE _MAY_ BE SOME CASES OF HOMOSEXUALITY, MAGNUS IS STRAIGHT. JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.**

 **6) EMBRYO IS FINAL! I WILL INCLUDE SOME OF MY OTHER CONCEPTS IN FUTURE STORIES, BUT DO NOT BUG ME ABOUT NOT PUTTING UP YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE IN THIS ONE!**

 **7) NAMES ARE NOT FINAL! MAGNUS' VILLAIN NAME AND THE NAME OF HIS GANG ARE NOT SET IN STONE! JUST TELL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PREFERABLY WITHOUT ANY SCATHING REMARKS!**

 **That's about it.**

 **Phew! My fingers are hoarse from all the yelling, but I needed to be really direct with this.**

 **As you can see, unlike my other characters, Magnus has a pure power build, soemthing that'll be expanded upon psychologically in the next chapter when we get to Magnus' past as a terminally ill child.**

 **Anyways, I'll see you guys for the next chapter of Hero Complex, in which Magnus makes some prison buddies and plays Fortnite Cops and Robbers in real life. Will he succeed or will he be killed or even taken to gnome jail?!**

 **Who knows! Find out next time, on Hero Complex!**

 **Spatialphoenix here, burning to ashes.**

 **Query: Should I do a Certain Magical Index fic where Touma has an Embryo?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! It is I, the phoenix, back with another chapter of Hero Complex!**

 **So the last chapter was pretty well received, and while a few people weren't happy about how I started near the end, something I don't normally do, everyone agreed that it was better than the original, which was all I neded to hear.**

 **A lot of you also liked how I put more emphasis on his physical strength than cunning, and that's going to be a running theme here, because I honestly lose interest in stories which basically turn into DC power fantasies as every OC or SI is somehow smarter than the likes of Lex Luthor, and can somehow manipulate people beter than actual demons.**

 **For those who feel like the first chapter spoiled the whole story, I recommend that you snap out of it. I don't mean to be harsh, but that's like saying that revealing the fact that Naruto becomes Hokage ruins the whole series.**

 **I merely stated an event, not how it will play out or all the other subtle plots and arcs between the lines. I barely revealed what everyone is capable of, only revealing a few Menagerie characters, and I didn't even reveal any of Magnus' Embryo Skills.**

 **I just gave some exciting things for people to look forward to. It isn't the usual way I write, as I tend to start from the beginning, but it was necessary since I needed people to see that this story has received a major overhaul from the older versions.**

 **Anyways, my internet has been on the fritz lately, which is why I wasn't able to update recently, so I'll keep things short in order to save time and get this chapter out before my internet fails.**

 **And for those of you who didn't notice, Magnus looks like a younger Sigurd.**

 **That point is very important.**

 **ALSO, THE POLL FOR INDEX IS NOW COMPLETE! At the time the Poll should have ended, A Certain Magical Grand Order was in second place after A Certain Unfortunate Phantom Thief, but later overtook it, so I decided to just do BOTH. I'm currently doing a little more research on all the franchises involved, so it might take a week or more to come out because my internet is shot to hell.**

 **And a Dendrogram and DxD crossover is making its way very soon, so stay tuned for that as well.**

 **Anyways, this chapter is a narration chapter, where Magnus explains his situation, and we see a few cameos from other characters who will become important in the future.**

 **Please don't immediately start flaming me, because I have learned from my mistakes, and the action will kick off from the next chapter itself. Events referenced in this chapter will also get more of an explanation, and we will see more character interactions.**

 **Magnus, unlike Micheal from the first version of this story, is the kind of person who jumps in to action first and asks questions as he fights for his life.**

 **The reason should be pretty apparent in this chapter itself.**

 **Anyways, I don't have much time to spare, so let us get on with the story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Arkham Blues**

* * *

 _{No Job, Magnus Grey}_

Ice-blue eyes opened slowly as their owner took in everything around him at a leisurely pace, making sure not to overexert himself.

He took a deep breath as he saw the now-familiar ceiling of Arkham Asylum.

The dreary colors only served to set the general mood of the area, which was just as drab and grey.

Slowly sitting up in his rather nice bed, in his opinion anyways, Magnus looked outside the window, noticing that there was a storm brewing, adding to the already gloomy atmosphere that seemed to permeate the area.

Honestly, it was safer for him that way. Too many bright colors and high emotions could quite literally spell his doom.

His eyes became unfocused as he thought back to how he had landed in this situation, as an inmate of what was _basically_ a poorly disguised maximum-security prison.

 _Two weeks._

That's how long it had been since he had woken up in one of the most horrifying mental institutions he had ever heard of, a place that was supposed to be _fictional_.

But no, he wasn't having a nightmare.

Somehow, by a process he doubted he could even _begin_ to understand, he, Magnus Grey, had been transported to the DC Universe.

Or at least, some iteration of it.

But of course, just as his luck would have it, he had woken up as an asylum inmate instead of as Bruce Wayne's son or something equally ridiculous.

But that wasn't what served to reinforce the fact that he wasn't having a nightmare.

The persistent dull ache in his chest and the ever-present weakness in his limbs signified that his _condition_ had somehow followed him across dimensions. It had never plagued him in his dreams before, so he could infer with absolute certainty that he was definitely not delusional or hallucinating.

His closed his eyes, driving away the bitterness he felt before he could become immersed in it.

He had _long_ since progressed beyond the stage of self-pity, knowing full well it never did anything to help.

Instead, Magnus continued to introspect, getting lost in his thoughts, like he usually did.

He had woken up to find himself being checked into the Asylum, with charges so obscure and vague he had nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all.

Murder?

 _Him?_

He wouldn't even be able to kill a _baby_ , much less a grown human being.

And why on Earth would he be convicted to the most infamous Asylum in the country, if not the whole _planet_ , for killing a _single_ person?

They hadn't even told him _who_ he had apparently murdered, only that he somehow _did_ , and had been convicted for it... _without any recorded trial._

To be fair, the Asylum staff were just as confused, and in some cases, _appalled_ , as he was, _especially_ after his condition had been diagnosed, which meant that they weren't the ones responsible for what could only be described as a bad joke.

So who was responsible for this? And why? Why _him_? Why _now_?

He'd just come back from his parents' funeral, mourning their loss without shedding a single tear in order to avoid aggravating his disorder, and had fallen asleep in the process, only to wake up in an alien environment.

To be honest though, he wasn't _upset_ with whoever had done this to him.

With his parents gone, he had nothing left. Due to his condition, there was no way he would be able to take over the company in their absence and manage it, meaning he would essentially have been left on the streets before long... if he wasn't assassinated first by their corporate rivals.

Not that it would be that hard.

A bar of Snickers would be enough to do him in.

What he wanted to know was _why_? And _how_?

At least, that had been what he wanted the first few days he had been in Arkham.

Eventually, he realized that there was no way he would get an answer to that question.

Instead, he wondered; _'where do I go from here?'_

By that point, he had been able to fully process his situation, and realized that there were many opportunities ahead of him.

Yeah, he woke up in _Arkham Asylum_ and the first thing he thought was that there were _opportunities_ for him.

 _But he was right, wasn't he?_

He was interrupted from his thoughts when a finger started poking his back, causing him to turn and look at the grinning visage of his cellmate.

"Heya White!" whispered Doctor Harleen Quinzel, better known as the Villain, Harley Quinn. "Rise and Shine!"

And yes, she was his cellmate for the duration of their stay in Arkham.

Which absolute _moron_ thought that sticking someone with his illness in the same room as one of the loudest, most _colorful_ people around was a _good_ idea was beyond him.

But hey, Harley had been a much better choice from a logical standpoint than his _first_ cellmate, _Bane_ , although the luchador had been a rather nice guy for the duration he had roomed with him, which was about three days.

To be honest, Magnus thought he'd have died on Day 1 itself, and especially so after his cell was changed, but he'd forgotten that Harley had been a former doctor herself, and had no trouble adjusting herself to make sure she didn't set him off.

Though the fact that she had even bothered adjusting for his sake could be attributed to the fact that she, like many of Gotham's inmates, for whatever reason, had taken a liking to him.

There was nothing really special about him except for the fact that he was more fragile than a glass pane, so Magnus had _no idea_ why they behaved the way they did towards him.

Of course, from reading the DCU comics, he knew that many of them weren't the monsters they appeared to be, though that could be debatable considering the infinite amount of alternate realities that existed here in this Multiverse.. There was no _true_ way of classifying someone as good or evil, trustworthy or untrustworthy, considering the way people could change at the snap of a finger. However, despite this, there were those who seemed uncharacteristically nice to him. The fact that he hadn't been killed yet when he was the _weakest_ person in the Asylum was a pretty good indicator of that fact, which logically indicated that someone 'higher up' on the food chain, both among the inmates and the Asylum Staff.

The reason he had been moved to the female block in the first place was due to the fact that Killer Croc had nearly _eaten_ Victor Zsasz when the insane serial killer had tried to make a move on him.

After that, the male inmates were thought to be 'too psychotic' for him to be treated safely, and after Doctor Young kicked up a fuss about it all, he was transferred to Harley's cell the next day itself as a means to calm her and the others down.

When you looked at it realistically, however, there wasn't much of an increase in safety between the Male and Female Wards.

Gender didn't mean much when you were off your rocker.

Still, there was something incredibly suspicious about this whole thing, though he had been grateful that he no longer had to deal with the likes of Johnathan Crane anymore.

Magnus doubted that guy's fear toxin would really work on him due to his circumstances, but the man just made his skin crawl, in a manner far more attuned to disgust than fear.

Anyways, not only was the fact that a _minor_ like him, one with no special powers in any way, shape or form was admitted to Arkham Asylum on some _incredibly vague_ charges that would _never_ hold up in court incredibly suspicious, but why they thought that sticking him with the 'special' inmates was a _good_ idea to begin with was something he still had trouble understanding.

Were they trying to kill him? Did they think that he was some sort of secret Supervillain with telepathic abilities or something, like Professor X?

The thought was completely _absurd_. Along with everything else that had happened to him since he had woken up in what was basically _Hell Central_.

But hey, he wasn't _dead_ yet, so Magnus decided to just roll with it, not being in the unfortunate habit of looking gift horses in the mouth, as rarely as he got them.

He just interacted with the _super-dangerous_ _criminals_ around him the same way he would with anyone else. They may have had frightening reputations, but Magnus had _long_ since passed the point of feeling _any_ kind of fear whatsoever.

After all, living every day of your life knowing you could quite literally die at any moment tended to desensitize a person to things like fear.

It could technically be considered a mental illness in its own right, but he didn't really care considering it wasn't irrational behavior. After all, there simply was _no point_ in him feeling fear anymore; it wasn't as if anything was wrong with his mind.

The only _disease_ he had was physical, not mental.

"Good Morning, Miss Harley." he said with a slight smile. "Nice weather, isn't it?"

The insane Supervillainess, although her lack of powers made the 'super' part contestable, snorted in amusement before breaking into a fit of giggles.

"Oh, you're a riot, White!" she exclaimed. "Only _you_ would call this weather we're having 'nice'! What's wrong; don't you like the big old sun~?"

"Not particularly, no." he replied dryly, before slowly getting to his feet. "Bright lights and colors aren't really good for me."

Ironic, considering who he was rooming with.

Living with Harley Quinn was an _experience_.

For whatever reason, she hadn't killed him or bashed his head in when he was asleep, not that she even _needed_ to wait for him to sleep, mind you, considering she was someone strong enough to swing around a hundred pound mallet like it was no one's business.

Magnus honestly couldn't understand _why_ that was the case.

He knew that despite his bedridden nature, he had the charisma required of an heir to a multi-million dollar megacorporation, but there was no way something like that would give him even a _tiny_ hint of an advantage when dealing with the likes of Arkham's crazy inmates.

Or practically _anyone_ in the DCU, except for the trash characters whose only role was to be cannon fodder to stall or summon either the Heroes or the Villains.

In the beginning, Harley had prodded and poked at him, like he was some sort of exotic animal behind the glass in a zoo, which actually made _far_ more sense considering her personality, but after a full week of rooming with him her attitude had completely changed.

She'd become _far_ more friendly and _genuine_ with him (or so he thought, anyway), which _usually_ involved her violating his personal space and telling him admittedly _disturbing_ stories about her escapades as a Supervillain.

It was kind of strange how her behavior had changed, but once again, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She had no reason to pretend to be friendly, and he had no reason to treat her with disdain regardless.

Anyone who could put up with a _monster_ like The Joker honestly deserved his full respect.

Magnus honestly couldn't tell _what_ incarnation of Harley Quinn he was dealing with.

The only thing he _did_ know was that she appeared closer to her Injustice/Suicide Squad appearance, which he was thankful for, considering that godforsaken costume she wore in the early comics hurt his brain. The lack of face paint was also welcomed. Oh, and she wasn't Red Lantern either, which was a good thing, meaning this was one of the mainstream Universes.

Maybe an iteration of the New 52?

One thing constant about Harley Quinns throuought the DC Multiverse is that they were really _dependable_ people.

Admittedly, that was a crazy thing to say about someone who was _insane_ beyond the shadow of a doubt, but that was something he had been able to conclude from everything he had read about her.

Once she registered you as a friend, Harley would practically _never_ betray you, unless it was something involving the Joker, who was her biggest weakness, and someone who _actively_ inhibited her from reaching her potential. Even in the Suicide Squad iterations, the reason she survived _all the time_ was either due to her surprising luck or due to the fact that unlike _everyone else_ on the various teams Waller had assigned her to, with the exception of Floyd Lawton, whose only motive was the welfare of his daughter, Harley never actually tried to _betray_ Waller, once again, unless it involved the Joker.

Beneath the insane mask and the blunt weapons she smacked you to death with was a surprisingly selfless person who would do anything for the people she loved.

The main problem was that The Joker always took the number one spot on that list, which was probably the only reason why she hadn't ended up as a senior member of the Justice League or something.

Honestly, Harley's loyalty to those she cared about was something even _Batman_ had acknowledged indirectly before in the Injustice timeline, the Insurgency Batman considering her one of his closest allies and someone he cared for like a sister.

As one could probably guess, this happened _after_ the Joker died at the hands of Superman.

In a sense, she was probably one of the nicest people among the Gotham Rogues... which was a really good indicator of how screwed up the city really was.

He was brought back to reality by Harley poking his forehead, interrupting his train of thought.

He really needed to stop spacing out like that.

"Sorry." he apologized, rubbing his head sheepishly. "We're you saying something?"

"Oh no, I was saying nothin'! You just looked like you were thinking too hard about something!"

"..."

"...So what'cha thinking about, White?"

"About how you're a nice friend." said Magnus, not deigning to lie to her. He didn't think he was good enough of a liar to fool an intelligent psychologist, and he'd read online before that trust was a good way to build relationships.

Besides, it wasn't as if he'd said anything particularly _offensive_. She wasn't a tsundere villain type who got upset because someone considered her a 'good' person or something equally ridiculous.

"Awwww, you're making me blush, White!" squealed Harley, wrapping her hands around his neck from behind and nuzzling her cheek against his. "Don't worry, I love you too!"

To be honest, as long as her _mallet/hammer/bat_ didn't love him too, he was okay with that.

"I'm sure you do." said Magnus, before gently extricating herself from the touchy-freely woman he had _admittedly_ become friends with over the past week and a half. "Now look away. I need to change, and I won't appreciate you peeking."

"Hey! White, that's _my_ line!"

* * *

One awkward conversation later, along with some time spent painstakingly making sure Harley didn't infringe upon the privacy he needed, Magnus found himself gripping the armrests of his wheelchair rather tightly as Harley cheerfully pushed him down the corridors of Arkham Asylum.

While he was capable of walking, he couldn't traverse the distance of Arkham Aslyum without over-exerting himself, which was why he was confined to a wheelchair.

Unfortunately, with Harley in the proverbial driver's seat, any semblance of this arrangement being for his own safety was lost.

He was thankful that she wasn't trying to push him as fast as she could like she had done the _first_ time, nearly giving him a stroke in the process.

However, even if she was better than before, Harley still had a long way to go before she could wheel him properly without giving him a heart attack.

Fortunately, salvation came in the form of one of the Arkham Asylum security guards, Aaron Cash, a good man if Magnus ever saw one.

Extremely rare considering the place they were in.

"I'll take it from here." he said roughly, his hook gleaming in the low light. "Go to the Mess and don't try anything funny."

"M'kay!" said Harley, not in the least perturbed by the tone the man had used with her. She let go of the handlebars of his wheelchair before skipping off.

"See you later, White!"

Aaron had begun to wheel him away already, so he couldn't reply in kind.

"You still in one piece, kid?" asked the guard, concerned.

"Still alive." affirmed Magnus with a light smile. "Thank you for your concern."

The tall man sighed at that, as he pushed him forwards towards the place he went normally during mealtimes and most of the day in fact, because he couldn't eat food like normal people.

Unfortunately, eating food with his condition could cause a hyperglycemic effect that could increase his heart rate and thus cause heavy damage to his health. It was an unfortunate fact of the life and the body he had been born into, and as such, had never experienced what it felt like to actually have a full meal, or _any_ meal, to be honest.

He could only have small nibbles of food at most, and had therefore been forced to survive off of multivitamins and nutritional supplements instead of eating.

It didn't do any favors to his thin frame, although thanks to the painstaking care that was put into keeping him alive, he was healthy in terms of body weight and nutrition, even in spite of his inability to actually _eat_ anything or exercise in order to lose calories.

"I wish I could do _more_ than feel concerned." said Cash. "A kid like you shouldn't even be in this madhouse. What is Sharpe thinking!"

Probably, the dude had been paid off by the person who had gone through so much trouble to remove him from his home universe and place him in Arkham Asylum. Of course, Magnus wasn't going to say that out loud, mainly because there was no point.

After all, pointing out something that _everyone already knew_ was a waste of breath.

"I can live with it." said Magnus non-chalantly. "So how's your family?"

"They're doing fine." said Aaron, his brow furrowing at Magnus's obvious deflection of the topic and his apparent resignation regarding the matter. "I hardly get a day off from this job but I can still see them every once in a while."

Honestly, _working_ at Arkham was about just as bad as being _incarcerated_ there.

The pay wasn't that great, life expectancy was poor, the boss was an a*shole, the place was _literally_ cursed, and so on.

There were also only 20 days one could take off in a year, _including_ national holidays like Christmas.

Seriously, considering the lack of benefits, the people who worked here had to be _insane._

...

...

Oh wait, they _were_.

After all, didn't Arkham have a wonderful history of its staff and owners going nuts and getting incarcerated there?

Heck, even the architect who _built_ the God-forsaken place had gone bonkers and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Arkham.

Even the _name_ of the place sounded sinister, which made sense, considering it was a part of the emo-wasteland from Hell known as...

 _ **Goth**_ am.

Okay, getting back on track, the gist of his thought process was basically that Aaron Cash had to be an incredibly _dedicated_ person to continue working in a place like that one considering all the negatives and obvious health risks, both physical and mental.

Honestly, Magnus may have come to terms with the fact that Arkham was his new home and that he _probably_ wasn't going to escape anytime soon, but if he had a choice, he'd go far away from this place, and Gotham as a whole.

That place was literally _Hell on Earth._

No, actually Hell was _better_ , if those screenshots from the Justice League Vs. Teen Titans movie were to be believed.

Honestly, this whole _Multiverse_ that was now his home, to put it simply, was one huge _clusterf*ck_.

Which was why he decided to completely _ignore_ it and live life the way he could until it was eventually snuffed out.

He didn't have a dream or an aspiration. He didn't desire power, fame, fortune or women. He was a simple guy who was honestly waiting for death, as morbid as that sounded.

He'd given up hope on ever living a normal life since the heart transplant he had gotten at the age of 12 had ended in failure, forcing the doctors to return his own malformed heart back to him.

The knowledge that even a _heart transplant_ could not cure his disease had been crushing, and had truly cemented it in his head that there was simply no meaning to his life, now and forever.

With his disease, his maximum life expectancy would probably see him as far as his early _twenties_ , and no further.

It was the sad truth, and it was something he had come to accept.

Although, come to think of it, now that he was somehow in the DC Universe, there were probably _lots_ of ways for him to cure his condition.

Heck, medical technology among societies like the Lanterns or the Kryptonians had probably evolved to the point where they could treat him with _ease_ , considering the kind of injuries their kind racked up.

There were probably even magicians who could treat his illness with a spell.

But there was no way for him to go about actually _meeting_ these people and gaining their help.

Unlike the _standard_ Self Insert characters dropped into the DCU in all those fanfiction stories he had read, he had no idea how to magically manipulate people and reason with extra-dimensional beings in order to secure either power or their allegiance, all within a few days to a _week_ of arriving in the World.

He was just a normal guy, one with a decent amount of information about the World and its events, but that was _it_.

He couldn't spontaneously tap into the Sage Force, he wasn't an incubus, nor did he possess some sort of hack ability that would allow him to easily gain powers that could put even the likes of _Darkseid_ to shame.

He was just a sick child who had lost hope on _ever_ living a life beyond his wheelchair, and the cage of glass and life-support machines that kept him breathing in order to wake up the next day.

That was all. It was something he didn't believe would _ever_ change.

And that was why he had no goals in life.

After all, what point in there was having a grand dream if he didn't even have the strength in his limbs to do a couple of push-ups?

Even his wish of running around and being able to play amongst other kids was nothing more than a pipe-dream.

The weight of his own self-realization was _crushing_ , but he still managed to keep himself from falling into depression through sheer force of will.

Though honestly, that didn't matter if this place didn't get to him first and drive him insane.

He shifted uncomfortably as he saw some of the _other_ inmates, who were hanging off of the rails and attacking each other like rabid animals.

Honestly, sights like were what made Magnus realize how _sheltered_ he actually was, even in a place like Arkham Asylum. Due to the unlikely friends he had made, there was a buffer between him and the true _madhouse_ that was Arkham.

And he was grateful, because he was sure that he would have either died or actually gone insane otherwise.

And dying in Arkham Asylum was _not_ the best way to go in the _least_ , and would most likely lead to his deranged ghost coming back to haunt the place and make even _more_ people go insane.

"They're like animals, aren't they?" said Cash quietly, looking just about as disturbed as Magnus was at the sight, though the older man hid it much better.

"It just... makes me feel nauseous when I realize that they were, at least once upon a time, _functional_ human beings like you or me." said Magnus quietly. "To see them behaving this way is just..."

Aaron patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. No doubt, as a guard who had worked there for a while, Aaron Cash knew all about how the people who were incarcerated there behaved.

"I know." he said grimly.

Thankfully, they didn't have to see much of the dreadful sight any longer, as they passed out of the Special Ward that hosted Gotham's most criminally insane, and the normal Wards that hosted Gotham's _slightly_ _less_ criminal insane, passing by the entrance of the Asylum on the way to the office of Dr. Penelope 'Penny' Young, who had taken it upon herself to make sure he was being taken care of, and one of the people who were vocal about their displeasure regarding his imprisonment.

Such a thing had slightly surpised him, as he'd expected her to be another one of those cold science-is-God types based on what little he knew, but apparently, it was actually possible to be _pleasantly_ surprised at the morality levels of a Gotham resident.

Truly, a mind-blowing revelation.

She basically watched over him like a hawk, something that had kept him from being placed in the hands of maniacs like Hugo Strange, which was quite _literally_ a life-saver, as there was no way in hell he would have survived even _one_ of the insane doctors's experiments.

Once again, Magnus was glad that he was basically getting the Arkham VIP treatment, and in a _good_ way, instead of the way that would end with him becoming a vengeful spirit or Joker 2.0.

Anyways, it was as they were passing by the screening area of Gotham that Magnus laid eyes on his first Superhero.

It was only for a split second, as Aaron had already wheeled him past the man, but Magnus knew that their eyes had met before he moved out of sight.

He had to honestly admit one thing to himself; Batman was even _cooler_ in person.

He hadn't known properly how it would feel to be in the presence of someone like The Batman, but as he realized once he first woke up with Bane as his cell mate that the people of significance in this Multiverse did _not_ need to be embellished by comic books in order to be scary or imposing.

And Batman did _not_ disappoint.

The legendary Dark Knight radiated an aura of power, despite being only human. It was as if he was a wizened warrior who had fought in countless battles, something which was more or less true.

He couldn't quite tell what age Batman was, due to the fact that most of his features were obscured, but it seemed that Bruce had been a vigilante for at _least_ a few years, if he'd already managed to radiate an aura like that unconsciously.

But still, Magnus was in awe, even if his face didn't show it, as he met a person who he'd thought only existed in a work of fiction.

He shook himself out of it as he started to unconsciously fanboy over Batman, calming himself and breathing steadily to make sure his heart rate didn't spike from his sudden burst of excitement, and waited patiently as he was led to Dr. Young's office.

It wouldn't do for him to become so emotional, even when meeting someone as infamous as The Batman, as it would only cause him problems in the immediate future.

After all, they were on opposite sides of the prison doors, even though Magnus had done nothing to earn his place in this new World.

That was just how life was. Even if it hadn't been as apparent before, that was also just how life had _always been_.

* * *

 _{The Batman, Bruce Wayne}_

In Bruce Wayne's honest opinion, the atmosphere of Arkham Asylum was just as morbid as the people who were incarcerated here.

Even so, the legal system that he had sworn to never place himself over had dictated that these people were to be assigned to the Asylum in order for their treatment.

Although, it had to be noted that no one had ever been treated for their insanity _successfully_ in Arkham Asylum, something he was all too aware of. In fact, the _opposite_ was often true; normal people would go insane and end up becoming psychopathic criminals in their own right, the biggest example of this fact being Harleen Quinzel, who would go on to become Harley Quinn when The Joker corrupted her.

 _The Joker._

The name alone was enough to make Batman's hairs stand on end.

Currently, the clown was running free in Gotham somewhere, so Batman had come to see the only person who might have any clue as to The Joker's whereabouts.

The Joker had escaped from Arkham a few months ago, and while it wasn't any surprise that he had left Harley behind, the fact that he'd been so quiet recently probably meant there was something big on his list, which wasn't a good thing for anyone. The only person who could possibly hold such information would be his sort-of sidekick.

He highly doubted that he was going to get anything out of her, but he sure as hell had to _try_ , because the lives of whoever the insane maniac targeted next depended on his success.

But, there was something else that caught his attention, however.

It was a boy who couldn't have been more than _fifteen_ years old, which was even younger than Tim, who was currently not with him as he was looking after the city in Batman's absence.

He was very skinny, almost _emaciated_ if Batman had to be honest with himself. He was confined to a wheelchair, which was being pushed by a guard he knew personally, a good man and ally named Aaron Cash.

It was a sight that made Batman narrow his eyes in suspicion.

In what situation would a minor, a _cripple_ if his assessment was correct, be consigned to Gotham's most reputed and most dangerous mental asylum?

It was a question he popped as soon as Cash came back after delivering the boy to whatever destination he was intended for.

"Who's the boy?" asked Batman directly, never being one for subterfuge when it came to conversations.

"So you noticed, didn't you? His name is Magnus Grey, and as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't deserve to come within a hundred miles of this place."

"What do you mean?" asked Batman as Cash led him from the screening area towards the Special Ward, where he could interrogate Harley Quinn privately.

"He doesn't have an identity. No birth certificate, no medical certificate, guardians, residence, etc. He's pretty much a ghost, which shouldn't be possible, especially with his condition."

"He's sick." It was a statement, not a question, and Cash nodded in response.

"He is. Not sick in the head, but he has an incurable heart disease. According to Dr. Young, not even a _heart transplant_ can help him. While I'm not too sure about the medical aspect of it, the gist is that when his heart rate spikes above a certain level, even a little, it'll cause him to almost _immediately_ get a stroke, and then get worse from there. He can't even eat proper food, and has to live off of carefully prepared nutritional supplements. T.V. can be too much for him to handle, especially when watching emotional scenes, so the only thing he can do other than sleep and walk around slowly is read. Hell, even when he reads anything he always makes sure to use Dr. Young's laptop to read the plot details beforehand so he doesn't get to surprised and knows when to avoid scenes that might be tear-jerking. To put it simply, he's basically a china doll sent into a dragon's den."

"How could someone like him have gone under the radar for so long? A person with a condition like _that_ , as unfortunate as it is, couldn't _possibly_ have survived to reach his teens without some form of modern medical help. Is he a Metahuman?"

In Batman's eyes, it was the only probably explanation as to how Magnus Grey had even made it to near-adulthood.

He was now slightly interested in the boy's case, as something about the whole thing seemed _fishy_ , and since it resulted in a child ending up in a place where _no_ child should even _hear_ of, it was something he felt he should look into.

He had a soft spot for children, something that had resulted in the formation of what Barry Allen mockingly called the 'Bat-Family'.

The name might have actually been quite fitting, but that didn't stop Bruce from fixing the speedster with his worst glare at the time, causing the man to quail.

"Nope. He's not an alien, a junkie hopped up on super-drugs, or a wizard. Metagene testing was also negative. For all intents and purposes, he's just an ordinary person. Well, about as ordinary as one can be with a condition like _that_."

This only served to make the boy's circumstances seem even more suspicious from an outsider's standpoint.

"Then why is he _here_? If he doesn't have any identification, that doesn't mean that he'll be incarcerated in _Arkham Asylum_ , especially with a condition that requires special care. That isn't how the law works."

Aaron had a good laugh at that.

"Believe it or not, he's here for _murder_. And even more amazingly, there was no evidence to suggest he was even responsible for the crime, other than the fact that he was the only person near the crime scene, lying unconscious outside the victim's home. He didn't even have a trial, and we don't even know the name of the person he _supposedly_ murdered, when he can't even run down a hall without getting a stroke. Fact of the matter is, someone high up wants him _here_ , which is obvious because Sharpe's doing his best to act like the kid doesn't even exist, but I can't figure out _why_."

Batman's eyes narrowed as he began to put his mind to use.

Just like his intuition had told him, this whole case was suspicious on a level that the word 'suspicious' couldn't even describe how suspicious it really was.

A child with no identity, a _clearly_ fake murder charge, imprisoned at Arkham Aylum without a trial?

 _Definitely_ some unknown element, or even _elements_ , at play.

If Batman had to make a guess, only two people came to mind, when considering who could be responsible for this whole thing.

Ra's al Ghul and his League of Assassins, or Vandal Savage.

While some may have called it paranoia for him to immediately jump to _that_ conclusion, Batman had seen a lot in his career, especially that even the _smallest_ of incidents could have _huge_ ramifications and consequences.

While they weren't the only people who could possibly have _some_ sort of connection to the boy, they were among the most likely candidates, because all the other ones would never have bothered to help a child like Magnus Grey survive to reach the age of fifteen.

Even Savage and al Ghul would only do such a thing if they had some sort of plan for him, which seemed highly unlikely considering the boy had no powers or any skills along that vein which could be useful.

So maybe his conspiracy theories had to be put on the back burner for now.

No matter which way he looked at it, all the evidence pointed to Magnus Grey being the victim in the situation, and that needed to be rectified immediately.

The way it was looking, _Bruce Wayne_ might have to get involved.

Still, the fact that he was still _alive_ and not a raving mess meant that he clearly was being protected in some shape or form.

"Where is he being kept?" asked Batman, just to make sure.

"..." Aaron tensed slightly and didn't quite meet the Dark Knight's eyes as they walked side by side.

The silence was enough to make Batman suspect the worst.

" _You're kidding me_. Sharpe didn't-"

"He's in the Special Ward." said Cash, not looking happy in the least to be the bearer of bad news. "With Harley Quinn."

Batman could have sworn he felt a blood vessel in his head burst.

" _What?_ " asked Batman, wondering if his constant proximity to explosions was really making him deaf. Of course, he knew that wasn't the case thanks to his intelligence, but there were certain situations in which one didn't want to accept the truth.

However, Batman wasn't a person who would get caught up in that sort of thing, and the feeling subsided as soon as it had come.

That didn't mean he wasn't _furious_ though. He'd always known something was off about Sharpe, but _this_?

"Why is he in the Female Ward in the first place? That is _not_ a place where a teenager boy who can't even _defend himself_ should be sent."

For obvious reasons, the Wards in Arkham Asylum were segregated for men and women, who only met up to eat in the Mess Hall, the neutral zone.

However, unlike most would expect, it was not only to protect the women from the men, but _also_ to protect the men from the women, because the kind of people held in the Asylum were those who broke the commonly established gender norms that society seemed to mark people with.

Throwing a boy barely into his teens in the Special Ward was already bad enough, but the _Female Ward_?

This was looking more and more like some sort of fancy assassination attempt, the kind made to look like an accident.

But why go to all these lengths when you could kill Magnus Grey with a glass of lemonade?

 _'Could it be possible that someone is trying to make him Awaken an ability of some kind?'_

Indeed, that seemed like the only possible answer, considering that while the kid had tested negative for everything _now_ , there was still a chance some sort of change could develop later.

Besides, there was no guarantee that the tests were even _correct_ , as the results could be _easily_ falsified.

Arkham Asylum received a lot of leeway from the Gotham legislature, which was the reason why the boy hadn't been pulled out yet and why Sharpe was still the Warden despite _clearly_ not being fit for the job.

It was one of the best places on Earth to do something like this without anyone ever knowing.

"He was originally placed in the Male Ward with Bane, but after an incident with Zsasz, Sharpe had him transferred to the Female Ward when Dr. Young started protesting, because in his words the inmates there would be more 'gentle'."

Batman fixed the man with a long, incredulous stare.

"His cellmate is someone who is famous for busting open people's skulls with an _oversized_ _mallet_."

Cash acknowledged that sheepishly. "True, but the idea _does_ seem to be working. Somehow. Even though he's bound to a wheelchair and _probably_ can't ever get involved with anyone romantically thanks to his illness, that kid's a natural with the ladies."

"Don't even _joke_ about that." said Batman sternly.

While that may have been a laughing matter _normally_ , there was no way attention from _anyone_ within these walls, from _either_ sex, could be a good thing.

He had come here for information about the Joker, but Batman's priorities were rapidly beginning to change.

Leaving that boy in the hellhole known as Arkham Asylum was obviously out of the question. He needed to be removed from there. At once. He was at the age where he should be worrying about his future career and trying to work up the courage to ask his crush out.

Even if his condition removed any chance of living a normal life, he at least deserved to be _far away_ from people like Harley Quinn and Bane.

For now, he would get the information he had came for. But his _immediate_ priority was getting that boy out of Arkham. It might take him a day to get everything filed properly, but he would _definitely_ make it happen.

Batman didn't intend to train the boy to become a vigilante like himself or the Robins, though. That was clearly out of the question, and was the boy's choice if they somehow managed to cure his condition.

Magnus Grey had _already_ been living a life tougher than most. Getting involved in the wider World of Heroes and Villains would only make that life even _harder_.

The least Batman could do was protect him from getting involved in the Metahuman scene.

...

...

...

Unfortunately for Bruce Wayne, he would fail on _both_ accounts, and only by a couple of _hours_ , to boot.

Who knows?

Maybe, if he had been successful in his endeavor, things might have taken a very different turn.

It should also be noted that Batman had been _correct_ in his assumption.

Magnus Grey was in Arkham Asylum for the purpose of awakening a new Power hitherto unknown, one that would shake the very foundations of the Multiverse.

 _For Magnus had been placed in Arkham Asylum for the sole purpose of awakening his Embryo._

* * *

 _{Unknown Location}_

"Jabberwock, _what is the meaning of this_?" asked a figure angrily.

To those who viewed him, he would have appeared as a rather bizarre being.

For he was a cat.

White in color and pretty generic in appearance, he wore a clerk's vest and walked on his hind legs, making it look like he had popped out of a children's picture book.

Although, the expression on his feline face was one of barely contained _anger_.

"I don't see why you're so upset." said his colleague unflinchingly, turning his head to look down at the strange creature. "Shouldn't you be glad, Cheshire? By my estimates, this experiment has a large chance of being successful."

The being speaking, _Jabberwock_ , was no less bizarre.

At first glance, he appeared to be an adult male human, but upon further inspection, one would notice that the skin covering his body had patches of draconic scales and beastly leather, while his head was decorated by devilish horns. Overall, he certainly looked more like a 'humanoid monster' than a person, but the glasses Jabberwock sported successfully moved the impression he gave off into the "human" territory, if only _barely_.

His mind however, was a _completely different story._

"You took a _child_ from Earth and threw him into one of the most _dangerous_ Realms ever recorded!" thundered Cheshire, releasing a pressure that belied his small and cute frame.

"It is merely an experiment to see if adverse conditions can result in the formation of another one of _us_. An _Infinite_ Embryo. An _Incarnation_. I thought you would have been more receptive to this plan; considering his life until this point, I've done that boy a _favor_. His Embryo will no doubt hatch into something that can cure his heart condition, and even in the event that it does not, there are various Jobs that could easily be used for the same purpose. Magnus Grey has been given an opportunity to live out his life in a way that would never have been possible without our intervention."

"You violated the freedom that all Masters, no, all _people_ are entitled to! I want to see the birth of Superiors and Incarnations as much as you do, Jabberwock, but there are lines we can't cross." said Cheshire, not letting up.

Those were the principles that Cheshire's own Master had raised him on, which is why the cat-like Embryo felt so strongly on the subject.

"Unfortunately, the experiment cannot be undone. It took me, Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Red King, and Bandersnatch using our _full power_ to bypass the Source Wall that protects that Realm, tear a hole into it, and arrange the proper conditions for the experiment. You may have your objections, Cheshire, but there is no going back. If it makes you feel any better, Magnus Grey is free to make his own choices from this point forwards. I have already simulated the prerequisite conditions, and as such, will no longer interfere in his life, with the exceptions of the Created Dungeon we've been making for his growth, and of course, the Job Trials he may have to face in the future."

Jabberwock explained the whole thing calmly. In his eyes, he couldn't see what all the fuss was about. While it was true that Magnus was an unwilling part of the experiment, and _yes_ , he had placed the crippled boy in a place full of lunatics in a World where beings existed who could _easily_ threaten even the _combined_ power of him and his brethren, the Thirteen Incarnations, but in his eyes, he had done the boy a favor.

Magnus Grey was akin to a wilting flower, who would slowly wither away.

This opportunity, this _experiment_ , had given him the chance to bloom once more into something greater than he could have ever been.

Jabberwock desired to see the kind of Embryo that could be born and cultivated by such an individual, in such adverse conditions.

And he would not be disappointed.

A screen lit up, as if to emphasize his point.

"Besides," said Jabberwock, cutting off his friend's retort as new information came in. "The Embryo Seed implanted on him has finished its maturation over the two weeks it has been incubating. Due to the nature of that World and The System's lack of a foothold on it, the process took much longer than it normally would, especially considering all the factors it had to take into account. It seems it underwent a radical change in order to save its Master's life, even changing its own _Type_ at the last scone. Sorry, _her_ own Type."

He scanned through the information quickly, his glasses glinting in the dim light.

A small smile crossed his face.

"Interesting."

Cheshire, exasperated but ultimately understanding that he couldn't reason with Jabberwock or help the young man unwittingly involved in his friend's experiment in any way beyond introducing him to The System and the concept of Embryos like the other Masters he usually met, looked at the same window Jabberwock was so focused on.

At the sight of the words written on the screen, Cheshire's small eyes went wide in shock.

 _'Wait, isn't that boy a descendant of...? What are the odds?!'_

He hated to admit it, but Cheshire realized that Jabberwock may have actually been onto something with his plan, even if there was no way Cheshire would ever approve of something like the stunt the other Incarnation had pulled.

Considering all the Embryos that had been born until then, this one was _completely unique_ in terms of its projected development pattern, and even the initial form she took was shared only by _one_ other Embryo.

As his eyes flicked through the information that was present on the screen, Cheshire found himself slightly uneasy.

"Jabberwock, I know I've said this multiple times before, but I think you _overshot_ again. This little one... could grow up to be even stronger than _us_."

Many of the words on the screen could only be deciphered by the Incarnations, but there were a couple in the common tongue that stood out;

 _ **[Current {Form 1} Type: Maiden With Arms]**_

 _ **[Projected Development Pattern: Maiden With Angel Arms/Guardian/Territory/?]**_

And just below it...

 _ **[Name: Warrior's Bride, Brynhildr]**_

" _Very_ interesting."

* * *

 **And that's a wrap!**

 **A little exposition on Magnus' situation, and an introduction to two people who will be very important for this story; Harley and Batman.**

 **Of course, I was inspired to give Harley a more leading role in this version after watching the new animated series, which really opened my eyes about how fun her character really was.**

 **I know she didn't really get to shine at all in this chapter, but that was just me getting used to writing her personality and speech pattern.**

 **Of course, where there's Harley, there's also Ivy, who Magnus is already acquainted with, along with most of Gotham's rogues.**

 **There'll be more interactions between them in the next chapter, as the word count started going a little excess for me to squeeze them in here.**

 **Also, many of you may have noticed tat Magnus' character seems slightly different from the gung-ho gangster in chapter 1, but that's to be expected, because he's lived his whole life basically as a vegetable due to his heart condition, which is actually a real genetic disorder, though surviving it is rare.**

 **I know that Figaro has a backstory similar to Magnus, but I actually have a friend in real life who has a condition like this, which is why I wanted to write it. He actually helped me with the development of this story, which is why Magnus is dedicated to him in his own ways.**

 **Hero Complex is all a out one thing; GROWTH. As a person, as a fighter, etc. This story is mainly about how Magnus grows from a crippled boy who could necer imagine a life where he could run to his heart's content, to a confident and accomplished warrior with many achievements under his belt.**

 **And of course, we have revealed the Control AIs, or the Incarnations, who were responsible for transporting Magnus to the DCU.**

 **We also see the reveal of Magnus' Embryo; Warrior's Bride, Brynhildr.**

 **If you don't know, she looks like the Fate Grand Order Brynhildr, who is also the thumbnail of this story.**

 **Magnus is also a descendant of Sigurd, which is pretty interesting...**

 **Welp, I guess that's all for me today, because I want to get this chapter out before my internet goes under again.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and don't worry, the action and interaction will pick up in the next chapter, Breakout.**

 **Spatialphoenix here, burning to ashes.**

 **P.S. - Do you think I captured the lawless nature of Arkham Asylum properly?**


End file.
